Forgotten Memories
by Hellmaster Fibby
Summary: Thanks to his dear mother, Syaoran gets shipped to Hong Kong in search of a wife. Who gets to go follow him? Sakura, of course! Things get interesting when they 'accidentally' run into each other.
1. Chapter 1

_Be forewarned that this short piece of fiction may not suit the taste of all FFnet readers, especially the ones in the upper age bracket._ This is my very first CCS fan fic written during the late 1990s, first published in 2002. Random plot, with S&S goodness.

Disclaimer: I do not own Card Captor Sakura. CLAMP does. All the characters in this fan fiction belong to their respective owners. I do not own them in any way.

* * *

**Forgotten Memories**

_Chapter one_

* * *

_x x x_

_"Are you ready?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Take my hand. Trust me, it will be all right."_

_"I will."_

_Blinding light is seen coming from the center of an unknown darkness..._

_x x x_

"Sakura!" a voice called. "Sa-ku-ra!"

Sakura's eyes and mouth flung open, startled by the intensity of the voice. She turned and came face-to-face with a yellow mouse-like creature glaring at her. "H-HOOOEEEEEEE!" she cried, sweat drops forming on her forehead.

"Sakura!" it yelled again. "Why are you still in bed?"

"Nani? What do you mean, Kero-chan?"

Kero shook his head in disapproval. "You're going to be late for school, Sakura!"

At this, Sakura fell off her bed in an instant.

"HOOOEEEEE!"

Sakura practically flew down the stairs, dressed in her Tomoeda Elementary School uniform. "Ohayou, Sakura-san," her father called from the kitchen. "Breakfast?"

"Iie. I'll just eat during recess. Besides, I'm not hungry," she explained. Sakura rushed towards the door, grabbing her shoes on the way. Jumping on one foot at a time, she struggled to put on her Mary Janes. "Thanks anyway! I'll go now." she called to her father.

"Okay, then. Itterasshai!"

"Ittekimasu!" The door shut behind her.

_x x x_

At Tomoeda Elementary...

_x x x_

RIIING!

Sakura looked up from her writing pad. They were having a test during Math class, and to Sakura's relief, it was already recess.

"I'm gonna fail! I just know it!" Sakura wailed when they were already walking along the hallway.

"Calm down, Sakura-chan." Tomoyo fondly gave her best friend a gentle pat on the head. "You'll feel better after recess."

Sakura felt her stomach growl. She blushed and said, "I guess you're right. I hadn't eaten breakfast yet because I overslept." She smiled cutely.

"Sakura-chan, you're sooo cute!" Tomoyo mused. "I wish I could've captured this moment with my camcorder." Her eyes sparkled like diamonds.

Sakura sweat dropped.

Chiharu, Rika and Naoko, who are now standing behind Tomoyo, also sweat dropped.

Sakura greeted them. "Hi! How'd you guys do in the test?"

Chiharu made a thumbs down sign. Rika made a face. (Whoa! The test must have been pretty hard! Rika actually made a face!) Naoko placed her hand on her cheek and shook her head.

"You too, huh?" Sakura said sadly.

They were about to head towards the cafeteria when they heard two familiar male voices coming towards them.

"What are you saying? You're not leaving, are you?"

"I actually hope not, but I have to follow as the heir."

"Bummer."

". . ."

The five girls stood there listening. Moments later, Takashi and Syaoran appeared from behind the corner. The two seemed to have noticed that they were being stared at since they were coming right towards the group. When the boys finally reached them, Takashi immediately started a conversation. "Hi girls!" he greeted. "I particularly cannot help but notice that you were staring at us. May we help you in some way?"

Syaoran remained silent, his gaze glued to the floor.

Sakura eyed him curiously.

"Well, if you guys would kindly explain to us what you were talking about, we would be very much obliged." Chiharu answered, mimicking Takashi's choice of speaking.

"Well, if Li here is amenable to your request, I will be more than happy to fill you in on the details." Takashi replied in an as-a-matter-of-factly manner. The group looked at Syaoran, who quickly looked away and gave a small nod.

Attention was then brought back to Takashi. He cleared his throat and proceeded. "It is a very long story, really. To make it a bit short, I'll summarize it."

"The Li family has an ancient heirloom: The Legendary Phoenix Orb, which is given to the Chosen One after every one hundred years. Unfortunately for Li Syaoran here, the hundred years had passed and the Orb must be passed down to the next generation. Syaoran, being the Chosen One, must carry on its legacy and have descendants of his own. Receiving the heirloom itself would bring ancestral power to the keeper. For the rite to begin, Li Syaoran must find a wife within this year, or so his family insists."

"Wait a second…" Rika interrupted, a bit confused. "Isn't Meiling-chan Li-kun's fiancée?"

Sakura felt a pang in her heart, not knowing why. She glanced at Syaoran who seemed to be quite annoyed at Rika's comment.

"I'm not finished yet." Takashi explained. "You see, the heirloom decides whoever Li should be married to. It just so happens that Meiling isn't chosen. Since this was the case, Li Yelan, Syaoran's mother, broke off their so-called 'engagement.' No one, minus Meiling, opposed since they all respected the Orb, it being sacred and all. It is one of those 'do or die' stuff."

Naoko gasped in amazement. "Wow..."

Sakura frowned. "Then why, if I heard right, do Syaoran have to leave?"

Her answer was a complete silence.

Syaoran decided to speak up. "It is said that if in the one hundred year span of the Chosen One's given time, he still hadn't undergone the rite, he and his clan will suffer unbearable punishments from the Curse." he said, gazing directly into Sakura's eyes. It was so intense and sincere that it made Sakura blush. No one seemed to have noticed though, to Sakura's relief.

"When will you be leaving for Hong Kong then?" asked Tomoyo.

Syaoran thought for a while. "I guess in about a week or two," he replied.

"So soon?" Sakura blurted out.

Syaoran stared at Sakura. Her normally bright eyes were now filled with anxiety. He hated himself whenever he made Sakura unhappy, not that he cared for her or anything. Or did he? _Listen to me Kami! I must be mad! _he thought. Much as he would hate to admit it though, he knew he liked Sakura. Actually, he -love_s- _her. He quickly erased the thought out of his head. _Did I just say I love Sakura? Now I know I'm losing it!_ he thought bitterly to himself.

But who was he kidding? When she first came into his life, she was only a rival, nothing more. But somehow, he grew to care for her and she became a very important person in his life. He just can't bring himself to admit it though. Sure, he had tried many times to show her how he felt for her, but it never went well. Something always stood in the way. And now, he knew he might not be able to bring himself to try again. He was about to leave for Hong Kong in search of a wife. What would he do then? His foolishness made him so controllable. He allowed himself to get in the way of his own wants, torn between family and self.

Tomoyo, who seemed to have read his thoughts, sighed and said, "But do Li-kun want to go back and get engaged by a decision which is not his own?"

Everyone fell silent, filled with his or her own thoughts.

Tomoyo (smiling to herself): _My, my, I am interested in how this whole thing would turn out. _

Naoko (looks at Tomoyo): _I wonder what Tomoyo is thinking about..._

Rika (sighs): _I feel so sorry for Li-kun... _

Chiharu (looks at Takashi): _It's the first time I've seen Takashi this serious. _

Takashi (serious look): _Boy, I'm hungry. I wonder what I should eat... _

Syaoran (blushing): _I don't like this at all... _

Sakura (looks at Syaoran): _Poor Li-kun..._

Takashi cleared his throat and announced, "Well, we must get going and have our recess. That Math test got the best of me and my stomach is desperately screaming for me to feed it."

Chiharu nodded. "I agree. Let's go, girls!" She turned to Syaoran and Takashi. "You guys can come and eat with us if you'd like."

Takashi readily accepted the invitation while Syaoran made no protests.

"I suppose that's a yes." Chiharu grinned. "Yoshi! Off to recess we go!"

_x x x_

"Kinomoto-san! Kinomoto-san!" a voice called.

Sakura turned around and saw Terada-sensei running towards her. She was already on her way home when her teacher called her.

Sakura bowed slightly then gave her teacher a puzzled look.

Terada smiled. "Kinomoto-san. I was going to tell you this tomorrow but…" Clearing his throat, he continued. "Congratulations, Kinomoto-san. You have been chosen as one of the five representatives of our school to participate in the Interscholastic Competition of gymnastics: Kid's Category."

Sakura's eyes went wide. "N-Naniii?"

He gave her a small parental consent form. "Don't worry. I will inform your father about it. I'm sure he'll let you go to Hong Kong if it's necessary."

"Ho-Hong Kong?"

"Your plane will leave in about a week." he continued.

"N-NANII?"

_x x x_

Tomoyo smiled, her eyes sparkling. "That's great, Sakura-chan!" she exclaimed.

"Oh, Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura sighed. "It is too soon. I'm not ready."

"I believe that Sakura-chan is capable of doing whatever she sets her mind to, and I think today will be the best time to use that!" Tomoyo told her.

Sakura fell deep in thought. It _is_ a lifetime opportunity, after all. Hong Kong... It's a nice place. _Hey, wait a minute!_ she thought, her eyes widening. _That's where Li-kun is going in about a week as well!_

Tomoyo interrupted her thoughts. "Sakura-chan... that's an interesting shade of crimson you're displaying," she remarked in a teasing manner.

"Eh? Nani?" Sakura cried. "W-What are you talking about, Tomoyo-chan?" Her face turned into a deeper and darker shade of red.

"Maa. Maa. No need to be shy, Sakura-chan." Tomoyo teased.

"N-Nani?"

Tomoyo nodded to herself, thinking about things only a girl like her would think. _Tomoyo-chan can be a very strange girl at times, S_akura thought.

_x x x_

Syaoran walked along the dim streets of his neighborhood. Reaching inside his pocket, he stopped in front of the door to his apartment room to get a hold of his keys. He turned the lock and opened the door.

Before he had even entered the room, the force of two hands glomping pushed him down.

He looked angrily at the girl glomping onto him. "MEILING! Get OFF me right now!" he ordered, his temper rising by a hundred. He stood up and dusted himself off.

The black-haired girl just gave him a smile. "Certainly will not!" she beamed.

Syaoran grunted his annoyance. If it was any other day, he wouldn't have been as temperamental. But today was different. He shook Meiling off his arm and went into his room saying, "Leave me alone."

Meiling pouted, pissed. "Leave me alone!" she mimicked, making a face. "Geez! What's with him? Mou!" She stuck her tongue out at him and skipped away towards her own room.

_x x x_

A dark figure hovered about the busy streets of Hong Kong. It stopped by a huge mansion and stared at it longingly, almost as if it wants the house to swallow him alive.

Just then, a speeding truck headed straight towards him. The driver was drunk and had the stereo turned on into full-blast. He was singing along, not noticing what he was about to hit.

The dark figure jerked its head and saw the truck.

Blinding light is seen,

Blood spread throughout the street. The figure swiftly ran away, leaving the gruesome scene behind. There was a pool of blood and car parts mixed together, the dead body stained with blood and a sharp piece of metal sticking out of the corpse's shoulder.

_x x x_

"HOOOOEEEEEE!" A loud THUMP! was heard from upstairs.

Touya groaned inwardly. "Monster..."

Fujitaka just chuckled. "I guess being the representative of her school in an interscholastic competition got our little Sakura all worked up."

Touya looked unimpressed. "Most probably."

Fujitaka frowned. "I can't help but worry about her. I know Terada-sensei said there would be two teachers accompanying the five finalists... but... I have a bad feeling..."

Touya saw how worried his father was. He actually felt the same way as his father but he decided to say something reassuring. "I'm sure she can take care of herself."

His father gave his son a weak smile. "I hope so," he replied, forehead still creased.

_x x x_

"Four days to go before my plane leaves." Sakura sighed, lying down under the shade of a tree behind the school. She looked up the sky but as she did so, she saw a face looking down at her.

"Li-kun!"

She immediately got up and asked him what he was doing there.

"Nothing," he replied. "I was out walking when I saw you lying down here." He looked around. "What are you doing here?"

"I came here to think..." she answered.

"About what?"

"Um, well... it's just that I'll be leaving in a few days from now to an interscholastic competition."

"Leaving? And where to?"

Sakura smiled meekly at him. "Uh well, to Hong Kong. I take it you don't know I'm going there?"

Syaoran gave her a small nod. "Yeah." He frowned and added, "I'm leaving in a few days, too."

There was an awkward silence between the two.

Sakura broke the silence, hoping to release the tension that rose in the air. "Well, I guess we must get going now. It's getting pretty dark."

"Yeah, I guess..." was the reply she got.

_x x x_

A few days later, at the airport...

_x x x_

Sakura faced her father and brother. They each said their good-byes with tears in their eyes (okay, maybe not Touya) and gave Sakura a hug. Sakura then turned to her friends. Chiharu and the others wished her good luck and decided to leave Sakura alone with Tomoyo.

"Oh, Sakura-chan, I'm going to miss you!" Tomoyo said, holding back the tears that were threatening to come out.

Sakura smiled at her friend reassuringly. "Don't worry, Tomoyo-chan. I'll write to you as often as I can. After one month, I'll be back."

Tomoyo took Sakura's hand. "Please take care. Kero-chan will stay with me for the mean time. Good luck in the competition!"

Kero wiggled out of Tomoyo's purse. "I'm gonna miss ya! You take care now!"

Sakura gave him a sweet smile. "I will. I'll bring you home sweets if you'd like."

"Alriiight!" he squealed.

Sakura lifted her luggage and gave her friends one last smile. "I'll miss you two!" She boarded the plane along with the two teachers and the four other contestants, her eyes brimming with unshed tears.

Tomoyo, Kero (hidden inside the purse of course) and all the others waved at Sakura until she disappeared from their line of vision.

Tomoyo sighed. "At least I can be sure she'll be safe since Li-kun would be there," she said to herself out loud.

The Clow Card Guardian heard this and reacted violently. "What? The brat's going there, too? I didn't know that!" (Note: the others already left Tomoyo and Kero behind.)

Tomoyo sweat dropped. "Don't overreact. I know how much you don't trust him but he did help her and protect her a lot of times, you know."

"No arguments there, I guess... " Kero reluctantly agreed. "As long as Sakura can be watched over... I have no objections."

Tomoyo smiled, obviously pleased.

_x x x_

Sakura continued to watch the figures she was waving at until she couldn't see them anymore. The girl walking beside her tapped her on the shoulder. "Hello there!"

"Hi!" she greeted back.

The pig-tailed girl grinned. "You have the ticket for seat G-13 right? I'm in G-14. Thought that since we're gonna be beside each other the whole flight, let's get acquainted." She beamed at Sakura. "My name is Haruko. Haruko Shinagami. And yours is...?"

"Sakura. Sakura Kinomoto."

"Your name is familiar. We're both in fourth grade, ne?"

"Hai."

"I'm gonna warn you that I'm a blabbermouth from the beginning," she warned good-naturedly. "My friends always say I don't know when to stop!" She laughed.

Sakura giggled and said, "It's alright! I like that in a person. They're easy to get along with."

Haruko smiled enormously. "Thanks!"

They immediately got along well and chatted away like old friends. Though the whole trip to Hong Kong got a bit boring when they'd occasionally run out of things to say, the two girls managed to amuse themselves by watching the other passengers trying to keep busy.

_x x x_

Finally, they arrived in Hong Kong...

_x x x_

Sakura gasped at the landmarks they passed by. They were now riding on a tourist bus that was supposed to take them to their hotel. After an hour, they arrived at their destination.

Sakura and Haruko became roommates as designated by the teachers. They unpacked their things and decided to go and check out the landmarks. The teachers allowed them with a condition to go back early and have a map with them.

Several blocks away from the hotel, Sakura suddenly spoke up. "By the way, Haruko-chan, do you have an idea why we are supposed to stay for a month. I was sure we'd be able to leave earlier than that."

Haruko thought for a while. "If I remember correctly, I heard my teacher talk about it to my father. He said that we are staying for a month because the competition will be held longer than expected. By the way, now that you mentioned the competition, did you know that during the competition, a girl might be picked to get engaged with what's-his-name? He is the son of one of the most respected families in Hong Kong, also the sponsor of the competition. They say he's quite handsome."

Sakura stopped in her tracks. _Engagement? Wait a sec, could it possibly be... ?_ "Li-kun..." she whispered, not realizing the volume of her voice.

Haruko perked up. "YEAH! That's right! The Li family! How'd you know, Sakura-chan?" She looked at Sakura and frowned, "What's wrong, Sakura? You look pale."

Sakura laughed at herself. "HAHA! It's nothing, really!"

"Gee, you're a bad liar." Haruko scratched her head in disbelief.

_x x x_

A figure watched them from afar. It let out an evil cackle and stalked away into a dark alley.

_x x x_

* * *

**TBC...**


	2. Chapter 2

This chapter is rated PG-13 because of its dirty humor. WoOh-okay, so maybe it's a little overrated since there's only one dirty joke in this chapter (which probably isn't funny), but I don't want to get in trouble for exploiting kids to you-know-what. So kids, don't blame me if ever you decide reading this chapter anyway.

Disclaimer: All the characters in this fan fiction belong to their respective owners. I don't own them in any way, so I hope no one will sue me for that.

* * *

**Forgotten Memories**

_Chapter two_

* * *

_x x x_

Syaoran walked briskly, baggage and all, expecting to see familiar faces in a short while. He cringed when he heard female voices squealing his name.

"Syaoran!"

"Brother!"

He searched the crowd for his family. There, he saw his four cheerful sisters waving at him. He approached them and was greeted by their hugs and kisses that seemed more like a storm. In a few seconds, he certainly _looked_ as though he had been in one.

"We missed you so much!" Li Fuutie cried in delight.

"Yeah! OOOHH, look how you've grown!" said Li Shiefa, pinching his cheeks.

While his four sisters were making a fuss over him, his mother stood to one side, watching his every move. She beckoned the girls to stop the nonsense and faced Syaoran.

"I believe you already know what your business here is."

Syaoran stiffened and answered. "Yes. I received the message a few weeks ago."

Li Yelan turned around and said, "Well then, we should return to the mansion." She led them towards their white limousine. Wei was already waiting for them and courteously opened the door of the car as they stepped inside.

Syaoran handed his luggage to Wei and went inside. The engine was now running and they were ready to go. After a while, their vehicle smoothly moved forward.

The whole ride was very silent. Syaoran looked out the window, looking as though the answers to his many questions were found outside.

_x x x_

"Oh! So his name is Li Syaoran. Ooh, I would _love_ to see him!" Haruko giggled. She jerked her head towards Sakura and asked, "But first, I want to make sure if you're not interested in him in any way... So, do you like him?"

Sakura was surprised at her new friend's question. "Well... why wouldn't I? I mean, he's a very good friend of mine and..."

"WhAAAt?" Haruko exclaimed and then laughed. "So I guess it's tough on me, then."

Sakura, being as dense as she is, didn't understand what was actually happening.

"Hoee?"

"Ooh! Would you like to see him right now?" Haruko held up their map and tilted it sideways. "I know that his mansion is around here somewhere..."

Sakura's eyes lit up. "Can we?"

"Sure. We could just ask around. I'm sure we'll find it." Haruko winked at her. "Besides, I want to see what he looks like."

Haruko looked at the crowd ahead of them. "Woah! I wonder what happened?"

"Let's go and ask." Sakura said, already running over to join the crowd.

_x x x_

"Excuse me, sir. May I know what happened here?" Haruko asked politely.

An old man with a scar on his forehead answered. "I heard that there was an accident here last night. I don't really know what happened but there had been lots of accidents occurring in this here parts. The gruesome part is, all the victims were crushed like mashed potatoes." He walked away, shaking his head.

Both Sakura and Haruko were shocked.

"Good thing we didn't see the corpse. It would haunt me in my dreams, or even give me nightmares or something." Haruko said stupidly.

"Hooeee! With all those dead victims, I'm sure there'll be a lot of ghosts here during the night..." Sakura shuddered at her own words.

"Well, we'd better hurry up." Haruko told Sakura.

_x x x_

The limousine slowed down and eventually came to a complete stop. Li Yelan asked Wei what was wrong. He answered that there were too many people on the road.

She then got off the car and went to find the supervising police officer.

While she was gone, Syaoran's sisters found the opportunity to continue fussing over Syaoran. Li Fanren ruffled Syaoran's already messy hair. "So how are you now?"

"Did you enjoy staying in Japan? Did you make friends with anybody?" asked Li Feimei.

"I'm alright. I did enjoy staying in Japan and definitely made new friends there." He stopped for a moment as he remembered Sakura. "Definitely. I really liked it there," he whispered to himself.

"OoH! I think Syaoran has a girlfriend there!" Li Shiefa cried in a sing-songy voice.

Syaoran snapped out of his day-dreaming state and yelled, "WHAT?"

"Oh, he definitely has one alright!" Li Fuutie exclaimed happily.

Syaoran blushed a deep shade of red.

"OH MY! He's B-LU-SHING!" Fanren shrieked. "HOW CUTE!" Wei coughed and smiled a little at this.

_x x x_

Sakura looked back at the crowd once again. There, she saw a tall woman approaching a police officer. Each stride the woman made weaved a sense of authority, demanding the attention of bystanders as she forced them aside.

Haruko followed Sakura's gaze. Both of them stared for a while.

Li Yelan approached the officer. He was trying to keep the crowd from going near the corpse. His chubby cheeks were puffed, like he had something in his mouth.

"Would you _kindly_ make way for our car to pass through? The crowd is blocking the road," she said in an authoritative tone. Yelan raised an eyebrow impatiently.

The officer had his back to her. "I'm sorry but I..." the gruff policeman began as he turned around. His eyes widened when he saw Li Yelan.

"O-Ofcourse, Ma'am. I'll do my best," he replied.

_x x x_

Sakura and Haruko watched as the officer shooed away the crowd to make way for a white limousine. Haruko turned to Sakura. "Gee, that lady must be very powerful... AND RICH! Look at their car!"

Sakura agreed. She stared at the limousine, wondering why she felt strange as she stood there gazing at it.

The lady went back in the car and proceeded to go their way.

_x x x_

Syaoran looked outside the window as the car became silent again. He did not know whether it was his imagination or not, but he felt a very familiar presence as their car proceeded forward. It was so much like... no, it couldn't be.

Right at that moment, he saw something that might have made his eye balls pop out with surprise. He ordered Wei to stop at that instance.

His mother gave him... a LOOK. His sisters, on the other hand, became _very_ curious.

_x x x_

Sakura and Haruko was very surprised when they saw the white limousine pull over to a stop. A boy got off the car and approached them.

Sakura's heart was racing when she recognized the boy walking towards them.

"Li-kun!" Sakura exclaimed, her heart skipping a beat when she said the name. Honestly, she really didn't know why she was feeling so... so... EXCITED to see him.

Haruko looked on as Sakura's cheeks began to color.

Syaoran finally reached the two girls and greeted them. "What are you two doing here alone?" he asked.

"Um... I... well..." Sakura began, unable to think of anything to say. "Oh! Before that, this is Haruko Shinagami, a new friend of mine."

Syaoran acknowledged her presence and shook her hand.

Haruko, on the other hand, couldn't help but notice how cute he was.

"I'm sure the two of you are tired. Maybe I can offer you a ride?" he offered.

"I'm not sure... It would be so much trouble for you and..." Sakura blushed.

"It's alright." A voice interrupted.

The three turned to see who it was and found Li Yelan standing before them. Wei had driven the car to their side of the street.

"Come on." Syaoron urged.

Haruko nudged Sakura. "Hey, didn't we come here to see them in the first place? Accept the offer!"

Sakura nodded helplessly. "O-Okay..."

_x x x_

After a short ride, they finally arrived at the mansion. Both Sakura and Haruko gasped at the size of the Li mansion.

Haruko tapped Sakura on the shoulder and whispered in her ear, "Boy, are you lucky!"

"Hooee?" Sakura got confused but decided to let it slide.

_x x x_

Meanwhile, Syaoran's four sisters were having a conversation of their own...

"Oooh! I wonder which one is Syaoran's GIRLFRIEND?" exclaimed Shiefa.

"Maybe it's the cute girl with the short hair..." Feimei suggested.

"Maybe it's the other girl with the long pig-tailed hair..." Fanren guessed.

"I don't think so," said Fuutie. "When he approached them, he only talked to the short-haired girl. It seemed like he only met the other girl today."

"Ooooh! Did you guys notice how Syaoran suddenly became 'liberate' when he saw her? HOW CUUUTTEEE!" Shiefa cried.

Fanren nodded. "She MUST be PRETTY SPECIAL!"

"Syaoran, that sly dog!" shrieked Fuutie.

"AND here I thought he'd turn GAY!" Feimei added. The other three girls stopped and gawked at Feimei in amazement. They all burst into a fit of giggles.

_x x x_

AAATTCHOOOOO!

"Young master, are you alright?" asked Wei, concerned.

"Yeah. I'm fine." Syaoran answered. He turned to where his sisters were huddled, sniggering over something.

_x x x_

They all went inside the mansion and had some dessert.

Yelan turned to Sakura. "Where are you girls staying?"

Haruko gulped her food in a jiffy and answered for her friend. "We're staying at a hotel on Main Street."

Yelan looked briefly at Haruko then averted her gaze back to Sakura. A nerve popped out of Haruko's head. "Geez! What AM I? Chopped liver?"she grumbled to herself.

Sakura sweat dropped.

Yelan softened her gaze and said, "You girls are welcome in our home anytime. Right?" She turned to Syaoran and his four sisters.

"YEAH! DEFINITELY!" the four girls exclaimed.

"OOH! WHEN IS THE WEDDING ?" Shiefa shouted enthusiastically.

The three other girls had to restrain Shiefa from jumping up and down.

"Wedding?" Yelan turned to Syaoran who was beet red.

Sakura and Haruko looked at each other, both of them equally confused as Yelan. "Did they already choose a bride for Li-kun?" Sakura whispered to her friend.

Haruko shrugged. "No idea."

It was already late and the two girls had to go back to their hotel. Syaoran's mother and sisters said their good-byes to the two girls while Syaoran and Wei accompanied them.

_x x x_

Inside the limousine...

_x x x_

"So Li-kun, what's your type of girl?" Haruko asked curiously.

Syaoran's eyes widened. "EH?"

Haruko couldn't help but laugh at his reaction. "OH COME ON! Don't be shy! Let me guess, if my instincts are correct, your type of girl would definitely fit SAKURA's description, WOULDN'T IT?" she alleged, giggling.

At this, Sakura stopped gazing out the window and looked at Syaoran. Both of them blushed REDDER than a tomato.

Haruko laughed and fell HARD on the floor of the car. They could hear Wei's muffled laugh from the driver's seat.

"Stop it, Haruko!" Sakura pleaded.

Haruko was now crying with great mirth. She had found a definitely ENJOYABLE new hobby.

_x x x_

To Syaoran and Sakura's relief, they finally arrived at the hotel which saved them an earful of Haruko's hysterical laughs. Haruko kept laughing the whole way, and it was a surprise the air inside the car was still fresh. Both Sakura and Syaoran might as well have gone deaf.

"Thank you very much." Sakura bowed gratefully to Syaoran and Wei.

Haruko was still overwhelmed with laughter. "Y-yeahhaha! Thank YOU! BWAHHAHAHAHA!"

They all sweat dropped.

"Wei and I better get going now. Good night to the both of you," said Syaoran.

"Thank you. Good night, too." Sakura gave Syaoran a sweet smile. He blushed and nodded. Wei and Syaoran got in the car and left.

After a while, Haruko finally snapped out of it. "What? They left already?"

Sakura nodded.

"And you DIDN'T give him a goodnight KISS?" Haruko giggled.

"HOOEEE!"

_x x x_

The next day wasn't a bit more subtle. Sakura and Haruko went to the gym with the other contestants to practice. The two teachers that accompanied them disappeared somewhere and they were left there in the gym. It was official. Those two were definitely the most responsible set of adults to leave with children in another country. Note the sarcastic tone.

"Geez, where are they, anyway?" an older girl asked their companions, obviously irritated.

"I don't know." the youngest of all the five contestants answered.

_x x x_

Somewhere in the world...

"Ahhh! We're finally alone..."

"Oh! Don't shove that thing in me!"

"Why not? This is the only time we have together."

"Oh heck, I give!"

(_hehe..._)

_x x x_

"My ankle hurts!" Haruko complained.

Sakura placed her hand on Haruko's ankle, her face reflecting the concern she felt for her friend. She remembered how loud the 'thud' was when Haruko tripped and strained a muscle. "You did fall pretty hard. Maybe we should go to the clinic."

Haruko shook her head and smiled gratefully at Sakura. "I can handle this. I'll be all right in a while."

Suddenly, a group of girls with red uniforms barged inside the gym. A girl with blonde hair, who seemed to be the leader of the group, stopped in front of Sakura and Haruko. She flipped her blonde locks and smirked. "My, My. You hurt your little ankle. Can't take the heat, girl?"

"Who do you think you are anyway?" Haruko growled. She stood up, forgetting about her injured ankle.

"OH! I didn't properly introduce myself." The girl smiled sarcastically. "The name's Victoria Genevieve. I'm the representative of the Maroon Rose School Elementary."

Sakura leaned over to Haruko. "Is there such a thing as a maroon rose?" she whispered.

Haruko just laughed and faced Victoria. "MAROON ROSE? What kind of name is that?"

Victoria sweat dropped, obviously embarrassed. "WELL, what do YOU know?"

Haruko and Victoria proceeded glaring at each other.

"Stop that, immediately!" a voice shouted. It was the coach of the opposing team.

"Sorry, Coach." Victoria apologized. She took a step back, eyeing Haruko carefully. "You'll regret this," she hissed.

Haruko rolled her eyes and turned to Sakura. "Let's go some place else."

So the two went to the snack bar of the gym. They would've gone to a restaurant but the teachers would have a hard time finding them when the two adults finally decided to come back.

Sakura sipped her ice cream soda. _(OOH! I'd like to see what it tasted like!)_ Haruko bit the last of her ham sandwich and gulped down her Coke.

Sakura smiled at Haruko. "I'm glad that was over."

"MY! MY! Look who's here!"

Haruko groaned. "Well, so much for that." She turned to the annoying blonde. "Not YOU again. Geez, why don't you just GET LOST."

Victoria opened her mouth but stopped in the middle of her sentence. Haruko and Sakura both looked to see what made such a blabbermouth shut up.

It was Syaoran and his mother. He looked their way and lifted his head at Sakura and Haruko. The two girls waved at him in return.

"What a cutie!" Victoria gasped out.

Haruko scowled. "HA! TOO LATE! He already has a SPECIAL SOMEONE!" she declared, pointing at a blushing Sakura.

Victoria tsked. She faced Haruko and said, "If he was yours, I would've stolen him from you. I guess I'll waste my time if I did it to her. After all, there are plenty of fish in the sea and I tell you, I'm a good fisher!"

Sakura sweat dropped. "Fisher?" _(I think I can see fishes. . .)_

_x x x_

Syaoran sniffled a little. He looked at the girls. _I wonder what they're talking about._

_x x x_

Sakura averted her gaze towards Syaoran, who was looking at them curiously. She smiled at him and went over.

"Hi!" she greeted when she finally reached him. "What brought you here?"

Syaoran glanced at his mother who was speaking with the gym supervisor. He faced Sakura again and said, "My mother wanted to see how the contestants are doing." He paused. "Wait a second, you said before that you were in a competition. Is it the...?"

"Interscholastic Competition for gymnastics. Yes." Sakura continued for him, giving him a sweet smile.

Syaoran blushed and said nothing.

Sakura just tilted her head, not quite understanding why he was blushing.

She glanced at a waving Haruko. "I guess I should get going now." She walked away and when she reached Haruko, she turned back and beamed at him. Syaoran blushed even more.

_x x x_

The next day, the competition's opening was held near the Li mansion. Unfortunately, the Tomoeda contestants got a bit late because some morons forgot all about them and took all night to fetch them from the gym. Lucky for them, a kind soul had offered them a ride. (_Can't just leave them there, can I?_)

"Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to declare open the competition starting today." The speaker took the list of competitors and read it. "Up first will be the..."

Haruko turned to Sakura. "Let's go, Sakura-chan. I don't feel like watching today. I was so exhausted from yesterday's mishaps. We're last on the list anyway."

Sakura agreed. "Yeah..."

Haruko's eyes glittered mischievously. "Hey, wanna visit the Li's?"

"What?" Sakura shook her head continuously, quite surprised at her friend's suggestion. "N-No! We might end up bothering them. I- I don't think it's such a good idea, Haruko."

Haruko sighed. "I suppose you're right." She looked up and suddenly, her eyes shot wide open. "Hey, isn't that Li-kun?"

Sakura looked at the balcony of the gym. Haruko was right. He was speaking with his mother, looking very serious. Sakura narrowed her eyes and saw a small crystal ball glowing in his mother's hands. All of a sudden, she felt very weak.

Then, everything went black.

_x x x_

* * *

**TBC...**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: All the characters in this fan fiction belong to their respective owners. I do not own them in any way. CCS belongs to CLAMP as we all know.

* * *

**Forgotten Memories**

_Chapter three_

* * *

_x x x_

"You will die! I will make sure of it!" a voice cackled. Then, the awful sound disappeared as quickly as it came. A shadow is seen entering an old cabin. There, he was greeted by four other shadows.

Shadow 1-4: HEELLLOOOO!

Our shadow: (chuckle) A-HUNTING WE WILL GO! A-HUNTING WE WILL GOOO!

Shadow 1: Password CORRECT!

Shadow 2: LETS HUG!

Our shadow and shadow 1-4: ( hugs ) AAAAAAWWWWWW! bliss! bliss!

Another figure entered. He was wearing a black cape and was holding a staff with a crescent blade at its tip. _(Yep! You guessed it! It's the messenger of DEATH himself!)_

"I will kill you! KILL YOU ALL! Ahem, just practicing." He coughed. "Thus, the time has come to kill." He clicked the light switch on and got out his cell phone.

"I'm gonna text the angel of death now," he told the purple dinosaur and four odd-looking "yaks." (Hint: They are yellow, red, green and purple.)

Angel of death: Wat is it nw?

Messenger of DEATH: Kil nw!

Angel of death: BAH HUMBUG! You do it urself!

The Messenger of DEATH locked the keys of his cell phone. "I must do it myself then. HMP! You just can't find good help these days." He turned to the five shadows. "I'm OFF!" He turned around swiftly and disappeared into the darkness.

Shadow 1-4: GOOOD-BYEEEEEEE!

Our shadow: I love you! You love me! We're one big happy FAMILY! With a great big hug and a kiss from me to you! Won't you say you LOVE ME, TOOO! BYE, kids!

Then, there was nothing…

_x x x_

_Important note: In case you're wondering why I placed this here, I'll explain. The point is, the shadow things and the accidents absolutely have NO connection with my plot. It's the characters above that caused all those stuff. (By the way, have you guessed who they are? They're evil, I tell you!) What's the plot, you say? Just read on._

_x x x_

Sakura searched the sea of white that swallowed her inside its portal. There was nothing around her but empty space. She drifted towards a small orb - the same orb that Li's mother had in her hand.

All of a sudden, she stopped floating and fell.

"NOOOOOO!"

_x x x_

"Sakura! Sakura!"

Sakura opened her eyes and a piercing stream of light blinded her eyes. She gently rubbed them and tried again. A figure was hovering above her head. She blinked a couple of times and realized it was Syaoran, his dark brows creased in concern.

"Li-kun!" She quickly sat up.

Haruko smiled at her. "You made us worry! What happened?"

Sakura looked down at the sheets of the bed. "I-I don't know..."

Syaoran studied her for a while. His frown diminished as a small smile found its way onto his lips. "It doesn't matter as long as you're fine."

Sakura met his gaze and they stayed like that for a while...

Haruko watched them, grinning mischievously. "Ooh! You guys are SOO CUTE!"

Sakura and Syaoran quickly looked away from each other, blushing. Luckily for them, Li Yelan entered the room before Haruko had the chance to unleash her horrible laughter.

"Syaoran. Come with me now. The contest is over."

Syaoran nodded but didn't budge from his spot. Yelan raised a brow and looked at the two girls. "You girls, too."

Syaoran glanced at the two, waiting for their answer.

"Okay, Ma'am!" Haruko nudged Sakura happily.

_x x x_

They all went to the mansion and after tea...

_x x x_

"Why don't you take us on a tour of your house? If you don't mind..." Haruko suggested. She had been wondering that whole time what kind of treasures they had in the mansion.

Starting from the first floor, Syaoran took them to various parts of the mansion, but the time was too short for them to finish.

Sakura bowed gratefully. "Thank you very much for inviting us!"

Haruko thanked them, following Sakura's gesture. "We really enjoyed ourselves. Your house is really great!"

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourselves." Syaoran replied. His sisters were waving from the window of the second floor.

"COME BACK AGAIN!"

"OOH! I'm sure they will!"

"TAKE CARE!"

"SAYONARA!"

Syaoran and Wei went inside the car with the two girls. Unknown to them, Li Yelan was watching them from the very top floor by the window. She was holding the Orb in her hand. It was glowing tremendously and was emitting green rays of light from its center.

_x x x_

Days had passed and the contest finals had arrived. Sakura had been chosen as one of the finalists. She only had three more competitors left to deal with. Haruko, on the other hand, had won the balance beam and the interpretative dance section but did not have enough points to join the finals. Luckily for her, she was able to outdo Victoria's stunts and antics. (By the way, she was in a different category as Sakura. Hers was specialty stunts while Sakura's was general.)

Sakura performed pretty well and received a very high score. A bell ringed to signal the intermission for final judging and tabulation.

Haruko congratulated Sakura. "WOW! You did great! I'm sure Li-kun thought so too!"

Sakura smiled brightly. "Thanks! Gee! I'm pretty nervous right now! Excited, too!"

"Who wouldn't be? Geez, Sakura! Imagine! Reaching the finals! What an honor!" Haruko exclaimed enthusiastically.

They both felt a presence behind them. They turned around at the same time and saw Li Yelan, a serious expression etched on her fine features.

"Sakura Kinomoto... I want you to come with me." Li Yelan told her in a VERY serious tone.

Sakura could feel the tension building in her heart. She could see how serious Li's mother was. It was... scary.

Haruko nodded at her and mouthed "good luck."

Sakura shot her a grateful smile and followed Yelan.

_x x x_

They walked all the way to an isolated room. Sakura frowned and said, "I'm sorry, Ma'am. I'm worried they'll start the announcement any minute now."

Yelan faced Sakura. "Do not worry, child. I already made sure that they will not make the announcement without me there. Now... enter."

Sakura entered the room. She saw four tall shadows standing near the windows while another one was isolated from the rest. The light bulb flickered on and light gradually spread throughout the dark room. To her surprise, it was Syaoran and his four sisters. At the center of the room, she could see the Phoenix Orb, the one she saw with Li's mother the other day. There were two seats in the far right corner of the room, one of which was occupied by Syaoran.

"Sit beside Syaoran, child."

Sakura obeyed. She sat down and glanced at Syaoran.

Syaoran spoke up. "Why did you bring us all here, mother?"

"You will find out soon enough."

Yelan raised the Orb and it shone furiously with green light. Two rays pointed towards Syaoran and Sakura. Then, the bright rays traveled upward through the ceiling and disappeared.

The Orb floated in front of them. It spoke in a very low, elderly voice.

"The girl named Sakura Kinomoto will marry the boy named Syaoran Li. Thus, I say so. They will undergo difficulties together and come through it in victory. They must be wed immediately, thus the oracle says, for the time of misfortune is near."

The Phoenix Orb returned to Yelan's hand and became normal again. His four sisters were congratulating each other for their right guess of Syaoran's future wife. Syaoran and Sakura just sat there, too shocked to speak.

Yelan placed the Orb back in its position. She turned to Syaoran and Sakura.

"The wedding will be held tomorrow," she told them.

The couple looked at each other and blushed furiously.

_x x x_

The announcement of the winners was delayed due to technical difficulties. Fortunately (or unfortunately) for Sakura, she now had bigger things to worry about...

_x x x_

"OOH! Sakura, I ENVY you SOOO MUCH!" Haruko cried with tears of joy in her eyes.

Sakura stood in the middle of the room, fitting the gown they made for her. She turned to Haruko, her face flushed and each cheek tinged with pink. "I-I don't know what to do... What will Dad say? What will BROTHER say, for that matter? I'm so nervous!"

Haruko smiled at her reassuringly. "Don't worry your pretty little head about those details. Remember, this is not really the real thing. You're just about to turn eleven, for Pete's sake!"

Sakura blushed again. "I know that but... " She imagined Syaoran putting the ring on her finger and... then he would... "HOOOEEEE!"

Haruko laughed. She never thought she could see anyone THAT red!

_x x x_

Syaoran looked out his window. He needed time to think. Everything was happening too fast. His amber eyes darkened when he thought of Sakura. Why did she have to get involved? She deserved much more than being married to the likes of him. What will her family say? What will her BROTHER say? A shiver ran down his spine just thinking about it.

Still, he was looking forward to that day, wasn't he? He imagined Sakura in her wedding dress looking very beautiful... he would place the ring on her finger... she would place his' on his finger... then they would...

He felt his cheeks burn. He quickly shoved the thought away. Luckily, no one was there to judge how red he looked.

_x x x_

"Peace and quiet at last…"

Sakura stretched her arms and smiled at the moon. It was an exhausting afternoon. Tired from all the excitement, the empty garden seemed like a sanctuary to her. A light breeze blew, making her auburn strands move slowly to the wind's song. She closed her eyes as she lay on the grass, sighing contentedly.

"Here to think?"

Sakura looked up to where the voice came from and saw Syaoran leaning on a tree behind her. Sakura smiled, remembering their conversation before she left for Hong Kong. "Hai."

It was a beautiful night. The dark sky was clear enough to see millions of brilliant stars winking at them.

"Kirei..." Sakura stared dreamily at the sky.

Syaoran gazed at her. "Yeah..." They fell silent, basking in each other's presence. Syaoran averted his gaze towards the sky.

"They say stars are just remnants of the light emitted from dead stars millions of light years away from here."

Sakura looked at Syaoran, curiosity evident in her face.

"That means the light we're seeing now are just shadows of what has been. Beyond the dark sky however, millions of light years away, there shines a newborn star - as bright as the sun - lighting the dark for another planet where other beings live."

Sakura smiled and waited for him to continue.

"I'm sorry..." he said, after a long pause.

"What for?"

"Before I went here, I thought about it a lot. What it would be like when I get married to someone I don't even love, I mean. Even though it's pretend for now, eventually a real ritual must be done. I'm sorry you have to go through that... I didn't want you to get involved."

Sakura looked away, sadness washing over her although she didn't understand why. "It's not your fault..."

A small smile graced his lips as his gaze fell on the ground.

Silence fell upon them yet again.

"I'm glad it was you..." he murmured.

Sakura turned her head to face him. "Hooee?"

Syaoran gazed at her, his sincere amber eyes boring into hers. "I'm glad it was you."

Her eyes widened in surprise. Momentarily losing control, she could feel her heart thumping loudly against her chest. His gaze was so intense that she felt uneasy, but she could not stop looking into his eyes. The sincerity of his words was there and realization made her say,

"Me, too…"

_x x x_

The day had finally come. Syaoran waited nervously for his bride to emerge from the floral curtains that lead to the altar.

Then, he saw her.

She looked so angelic in her gown. The soft fabric embraced her developing body intimately and the silk white gloves she had on looked almost as if it was second skin. Her diamond earrings shone in the light, matching her sparkling emerald eyes. Syaoran could not help but blush at what he saw.

The ceremony was about to begin when suddenly, an earthquake shook the ground violently. Out of the cracks, the Phoenix Orb levitated and drifted in the air. It emitted black light, its dark rays resting on the couple.

They vanished in an instant.

There was panic among the guests. Everyone was baffled on why it could have happened, even Li Yelan.

_x x x_

Syaoran opened his eyes. His reflexes brought him to look for Sakura right away. He saw her floating on a bed of darkness. He went to her and quickly embraced her.

Sakura felt weak, but it did not last long as she felt a feeling of warmth over come her. She opened her eyes and saw Syaoran gazing at her with worried eyes.

"Li-kun!" Sakura looked around her. It was just like her dream, except that she felt much assured with Syaoran there to support her.

The Orb approached them. It spoke again, with the same low voice.

"The two of you had been chosen. The two of you were picked. We will wed you in the baptism of darkness. That is the only way."

Suddenly, they were already on the ground. The ground extended to only two paths. One leads to the sea of darkness, the other the sea of light.

The Orb spoke again.

"Go into the light, you will be ours. Go into the darkness, suffer the consequence. You decide."

The Orb exploded and disintegrated into nothing.

_x x x_

Sakura looked at Syaoran, unsure of what they should do. Syaoran frowned. He thought for a while. There wasn't much of a choice.

Syaoran smiled at Sakura. She smiled back, her tension melting away.

Pressing his lips together in a determined line, he decided to tell her. "Sakura..." he began. Her emerald eyes widened at his sudden use of her name. He gazed at her, his voice sincere. "No matter what happens, I-I want you to know that I love you."

_x x x_

There. He said it.

_x x x_

Sakura's eyes welled up in tears. "As long as I'm with you, I know everything will be okay."

They gazed into each other's eyes. They unconsciously moved closer to each other until their lips met in a gentle kiss...

The ground rumbled hard. They looked at each other, gaining confidence from each other's eyes.

_x x x_

_" Are you ready? "_

_" Yes. "_

_" Take my hand. Trust me it will be all right. "_

_" I will." _

_Blinding light is seen coming from the center of an unknown darkness._

_x x x_

"Sakura-chan! What took you so long?"

Sakura smiled. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Tomoyo-chan!" She placed her bag on the bench and sat down beside Tomoyo. They looked at the two girls sitting on the bench across them.

"Haruko-chan! Stop babbling already! I'm trying to study!" a girl with blue hair complained.

The pig-tailed girl replied. "HEHE! Sorry about that!" She averted her gaze towards Sakura. Their eyes met for a while. They both ignored the odd feeling that they encountered as they did so.

"Probably just my imagination..." decided Haruko, shrugging it off.

"I feel like I know her from somewhere." Sakura thought to herself. "Oh well."

Tomoyo stood up from her seat. Sakura did so as well. The person they were waiting for had just arrived. It was Syaoran.

"Did you wait long?"

Sakura shook her head. "Iie. I was late too. Tomoyo-chan was the one who waited for both of us. Ne, Tomoyo-chan?" She glanced at Tomoyo briefly then gave him a sweet smile.

Syaoran blushed furiously.

Tomoyo just smiled her knowing smile.

_x x x_

_**THE END**_

_x x x_

* * *

Did I surprise you or just totally ANNOYED you? Review, review, review! I want to know if I elicited the desired reaction from the readers! :-} In case you didn't understand, this fic ended the way it did because Syaoran and Sakura forgot all about the events that happened from the start of the fic. That's why this is entitled " Forgotten Memories " Get it? Forgotten memories? Hehe. Yes, it's pointless, I know. Hahaha! :D

**Liked it? Or did it leave you frustrated? Then leave a review. XD**


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